Welch



(No ModeL)" R. W. WELGH.

WHEAT SGOURI'NG MACHINE- No. 377,920. l Patented Feb. 14

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I ROSIA WASHINGTON WELCH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNORfBY. I DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE WELSH 'WHEAT CLEANING I AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY. I

WHVEAT-SCOURINJG 'MACl-HNE; v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,920, dated February 14-, 1888.

Application filed November 27, 1886. Serial No. 220,052. (No modell To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROSIA WASHINGTON WELOH, of the city of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Wheat-Scouring Machines, of which 7 the following is a specification.

In the modern systems of milling it is of the highest importance'that the husk of the berry shall be left of its original strength and thick- 10 ness to the end that it may be removedin the preliminary milling operations in large flakes without being pulverized or broken. It is of importance, therefore, that the cleaning-machine shall aot upon the berry with a gentle r5 rubbing action and without a cutting, grinding, or percussive effect. I

The aim-of myinvention is to provideamachine by which the wheat-berry may be effectually scoured and freed from thefuzzy portions without weakening the husk or fracturing the berry; and to this end it consists, es-

sentially, in the combination of two vertical cylinders separated by an intermediate space, through which the wheat is .permittedto de scend slowly and driven in the same direction, but at different rates of speed, as will be hereinafter more fully described and explicitly claimed.

In the accompanying draw1ngs,Figure 1 rep- 3o resents a vertical se'ction'of a machine having myimprovement incorporated thereimshowin g the interior cylinder in elevation and partly' broken away; Fig. .2, a horizontal crosssection of the same on line or a, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a rigid frame-work, which may be of any suitable construction, provided with bearings which support acentral vertical driving-shaft,

B, carrying the vertical cylinder C. This cyl- 0 inder is commonly made of a diameter of about twenty inches and of a length of thirty-six inches, more or less.

or other frame clothed, except at its extreme upper end, with Woven-Wire cloth, preferably 5 of about twelve by fourteen mesh of steel wire.

At its upper end, fora distance of four inches,

more or less, the cylinder is encircled by a smooth'metallic band, I), fixed securely there to, and presenting a smooth surface to the de- It consists of 'a skeleton scending-grain. The use of. the smooth D is advantageous, in that itpermits the grain.

'to enter more readily between .the inner. and

outer cylinders. The outer surface ofthecylinder C is encircled by. a'spiral rib, preferably a coarse wire, having a pitch of about four 5 inches, and secured .byrstaples orequivalent fastening devices... This ribjtrends. downward in the direction in which the cylinder revolves, I

so thatit exerts alifting action upon the grain.

The inner cylinder is surrounded byxasec. 0nd and concentric cylinder, E, consistingof the. skeleton frame. clothed .on itsinnerwsurface with wire-cloth similar to that on the inner cylinder, butwithout the spiral rib.

I constructthe machine commonly with an 6 5 annular'space of half I an inch (more or. less) between the two cylinders- .1 Theouter. eylinder is carried by arms or spokes radiating from .I a sleeve, F, which revolves. loosely about the central driving-shaft, .beingtsupported.byya separate bearing, as .shown,. or otherwise,.the only requirement being that. the twocylinders shall be free to revolve independently; i.

. :The drivingshaft Bis provided.with--adriv-. ing-pulley, G,.or other. appropriate meansfor impartingmotion thereto, and is, also provided with a pinion, H,-w hich impartsmotiontoza larger geanwheel, I, on a small countershaft, J ,which latter, is in turnprovided with a gear; L, engagingand drilvinga. pinion,,.M,onnthe sleeve of the outer. cylinder.

In'action iI commonly drive the inn,er;cyrl.- i.- inder at a speed of about five hundred revolutions per minute, and so proportion the gearing that the outer cylinder will be revolved ata speed of about seventy-five revolutions, the

two cylinders turning in the same direction. Around the outer cylinder, E, I place a stab tionary jacket or casing, O, and at the top of the machine, on the driving-shaft, I place a suction-fan, P, which communicates with the space between the jacket and the cylinder E. At the bottom of the machine I provide a discharge-spout, Q, having a valve, R, by which the flow of the material through the'machine 5 may beretarded in order to secure the proper action of the wheat-berries against each other 7 and against the 'wire-cloth. At the top of the machine I provide a feed-hopper, as shown, or other equivalent means for delivering the grain between the two cylinders.

In operating the machine care isto be taken to see that the space between the two cylinders is completely filled with grain, and that the descent of this grain is retarded so that the grain is retained until brought to the proper condition.

The revolution of the outer cylinder causes the grain to be urged outward by the centrifugal force strongly against the surface of the cylinder, and also causes the wheat-berries to bear forcibly against each other. The revolution of the inner cylinder at a different speed serves toagitate the grain, its rib acting to lift and turn the grain and keep the same in constant motion, so that every berry is brought in contact as to every portion of its surface with the wirefcloth and with the adjacent berries. The result of this action is a thorough cleansing of the berry without the slightest injury thereto.

I am aware that machines have been constructed with a stationary outer and a rotary inner cylinder, and also that machines have been constructed in various forms with two concentric cylinders revolving in opposite directions.

The advantage of my invention lies mainly in the fact that by the revolution of the two.

cylinders in one direction at differential speeds I am enabled to drive the cylinder at a speed sufficiently high to develop a strong centrifugal actionv and a correspondingly forcible pressure of the grain in an outward direction, without, on the other hand, developing that violent scouring action which would result from the revolution of the cylinders in difl'erent directions.

I am aware that smut-machines, flour-bolts, and other machines have been constructed with concentric reels and drums, and that gearing has been applied to revolve these drums, in some cases in the same and in other cases in opposite directions; but I believe myself to be the first to produce a wheat-cleaning machine in which two cylinders covered with wire-cloth have been driveh in the same direction at different speeds; and in practice I ,struction.

find that when thus constructed the machine operates to effectually clean the grain without cutting or weakening its husk, and that the results secured are better than those which I have been able to obtain under any other con- When the machine is in operation andthe outer cylinder driven at a high speed, the centrifugal force acts to throw and hold the grain against its inner surface, subject to the action of the inner cylinder, the result being that the berries are rubbed with a gentle pressure upon each other and upon the smooth surfaces of the wire-cloth in a manner peculiarly efiicacious as regards the end in view.

I do not claim, broadly, herein the combination of two concentric cylinders, the inner one of which is provided with ribs trending in a forward direction, such combination forming the subject-matter of a prior application filed by me on the 9th day of July 1886, No. 207,597, the outer cylinder in that'application being, however, a stationary instead of a revolving cylinder, as herein claimed. Neither do I claim herein the combination of an external cylinder with a surrounding jacket and an exhaust-fan.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In awheat cleaning machine, the combination of an upright inner cylinder clothed with wire-cloth and provided with the spiral lifting-rib, the outer concentric cylinder, also clothed with wire-cloth, and mechanism, substantially as described, for revolving said cylinders in one and the same direction at different speeds.

2. In a wheat-scouring machine, the combination of the outer revoluble cylinder and the inner revoluble cylinder, the latter provided at its upper end with the smooth surface D and with the wire-cloth covering and the spiral rib.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 15th day of November, 1886, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

ROSIA WVASHINGTON WELOH.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. EMMERIOH,

WVM. H. J oNEs. 

